Small Cog, Big Wheel

Chapters in Section V identify trends and issues in IDT in various contexts: business & industry; military; health care education; P-12 education; and post-secondary education. Select at least 3 of these 5 contexts and compare/contrast the IDT trends and issues. Then explain how they are similar or different from the IDT trends and issues in the context in which you work.


      I was biased. Now I'm just confused. I started my career as an instructor in the business field and like all beginners in any field, I thought I was the most knowledgeable instructor in the hardest environment. Boy, was I wrong. After doing my research to compare trends and issues in IDT between Business and Industry, Military, and Health Care Education, I found out that I was a small cog in a very big wheel. Instructional design today is not just producing instruction, it now includes analyzing the problems caused by the human aspect, figuring out the cause of the problems and coming up with a solution to fix those problems. When comparing the issues between Business and Industry, Military and Health Care education, you will find some of the same issues (good and bad) in all three. The instructional designer has to come up with a course that fits in with the company demands while at the same time meeting the individual's individual demands. Same holds true in the Military and Health Care fields. The variety of cultures in military and health care fields demands the instructional designer to be innovative, well versed in his field, and to understand how improvements in technology, evolving military styles, and even budgetary cuts affect the effectiveness of his work. Instructional design in business and industry is a new employee. Usually the training is separated from the actual workforce. Training in the military is actually part of the job and is integrated into the workplace. Education and training in the healthcare field is strictly dictated by regulations and standards. ID in business and industry controls the longevity of business and industry. Weirdly worded, maybe, but still true. One of the main differences between the three is if the instructional designer in business and industry fails, the business loses, the instructional designer in the military and heath care field fail, people can lose their life.

     I teach at the freshman and sophomore level. I am constantly striving to come up with more innovative ways to reach my kids. (Yes, I feel like they are part of my family, therefore, my kids). We have a very diverse bunch of kids from a multitude of backgrounds. They start at the wealthy and goes to the very poor. The other teachers and I are constantly discussing new ideas, new approaches, and new ways to keep and hold the children's attention. Just like in business and industry, the military, and the healthcare fields, we are also affected by funding, by regulations, and even by student culture. The main difference is if I fail, although a young mind hasn't reached its full potential, no one dies.

Chapters in Section VI discuss global trends and issues in IDT. As the world’s population grows exponentially, we face unprecedented challenges that have implications for learning. How and can we prepare our youth to address the problems of living in a world with 9 billion people when the earth’s resources cannot sustain that many? Does our current education system, curriculum, and instructional practices help learners foster the complex problem-solving skills necessary to tackle these issues? Are there methods and practices used in European and Asian countries that we should use here in the US? Why or why not? 



Technology! Technology! Technology! In this world of global communities and global communication, we have come to rely more on technology than we ever have. It will get to be even more, the greater the population grows and the "smaller" the world becomes. Although technology will the world's hero, cultural differences in the way people across the world teach, learn, and assimilate material will slow down the rate at which information spreads. Students of today need to learn skills to connect across the globe, while still keeping in touch with their own heritage. Instructional design will play an important part in creating those connections. We will have to adapt our teaching styles, our curriculum, and even the way we learn to meet the cultural differences between here and across the world. For example, in Asian countries; thanks mainly due to government support and intervention; E learning has sped up the application of ID principles. Although they still have a long way to go, at least they are on the right track. One of the main problems other countries have, is the social, political, and economic challenges they face due to being so multicultural. Europe is the perfect example. The "European Commission" recognizes twenty-three official languages, but in the big cities, hundreds of languages are spoken. They are facing significant social changes. Dense populations and mixed cultures favor the use of technology. Unfortunately, not everyone views ID as a hero. Independent and e-type of learning is not widely supported. Online learning isn't seen as the business of ID. As a result, changes are slow to come about. Europe, Asia, United States, they all are going to have to adapt to the changing times to survive in this new global community. The individual governments will have to get involved, raise the expectations of our schools, our teachers and our students. We have to learn to act wisely with the changes, we ourselves, have brought about.